Cape Cod Christmas

One of the benefits of living on Cape Cod is the small town atmosphere in spite of being on the east coast. Once the tourists and summer people are gone its rural and small town nature is more obvious. Every town has Christmas activities, and everyone participates in a few. Because I am working for A Major Retailer commercial and official Christmas activities have limited appeal for me (constant Christmas music, anyone?) but it's still fun to indulge in a few.

I was not planning to see the Falmouth Christmas Parade this year. What I was planning to do was to run into Sage Yarn to pick up the additional needles I needed to complete my fourth and fifth attempts at a hat. I would have stopped at my local, but because that shop is a one woman operation it is closed on Sundays. As I drove towards Falmouth center I noticed that the traffic was thicker than I would have expected on a Sunday off season. When I saw people walking with lawn chairs I knew I was in for it and took a turn to the back roads to find a way to get closer. I optimistically left my car on the side of the road in a no parking area and headed for Sage. I finished my needle shopping quickly and after a quick gossip with the shop assistant I headed out to see what the Falmouth parade offered.

Let's reiterate right off the bat that this is a small town in the off season! That said, they were able to field a high school marching band, the obligatory vet on a motorcycle, and the local dance academy which apparently tutors every little girl in town. The defining unit was the town crier who announced the parade. Very fun, and very short. Thank goodness the downtown area is small because I had to scrounge around looking for where I left the car. You may have noticed that the band has actual warm raincoats. That says all you need to know about the climate of Cape Cod off season!

 

The hat? Well, it's finished and will fit a human head now after being too small to fit on my head twice and too large for a human twice. Like really too large. Like the size of a trash can. The yarn was a bit heavy for fingering and a bit light for sport and I did not swatch. I never swatch. I repent of my bad swatching attitude. I also fell prey to knitters' delusion and knit half of the hat too small (rip) half of the hat too big (rip) nearly the whole hat really big (rip) and a third of the hat tiny (rip again). I tried every size of needle I owned and ended up buying two more sizes to get the job done. I am now finished with gift knitting and am making tiny and easy projects for myself like sensible hand warmers and simple hats for my own use for walking the dog and other occasions when my alpaca beauties are too precious and delicate.